Scribner Seminar ProgramCourse Description

Hollywood’s Portrayal of Science

Instructor (s): Kyle Nichols, Geosciences

Can glaciers advance to New York City in just a few weeks? Can a car drive over molten
lava? Is a magnitude 10.5 earthquake possible? Can we really travel to the center
of the earth? Hollywood would lead you to believe that the answers are yes; however
scientists would most likely respond with “Are you serious?” Sometimes the portrayal
of science in Hollywood is accurate, while other times science is trumped by poetic
and artistic license. In this seminar, we will watch some of Hollywood’s most successful
“science-based” movies, identify the fiction therein, and learn the real science behind
these stories. We will also discuss Hollywood’s role in science education, how it
shapes the public’s perception of science, and how it portrays non-traditional scientists.
For additional perspective, we will watch documentaries and other visual media that
are thought to portray science accurately. Through these investigations, we will explore
the role of visual media in science communication or miscommunication.